Why ask the question in the singular? There were 4 good American competitions. Each one of them had several contenders for the gold and also for the Oly team. I hope the entire Team does well in Vancouver. I had no problem with the results and the selection.

While I think that US men and ice dance level are up a knotch to near the top in the world, US pairs and ladies aren't. Don't even recall how the gold medal performance was in pairs even though I have watched it. Such an unmemorable event! I don't argue the result of US ladies. I think the placements were fine. The fact that US has had Rachael Flatt as a National Champion proved that US is desperate in Ladies skating. She is consistent for sure but her postures and general presence on the ice were terrible! Waaay off the world standard. She should have had much lower PCS at least. The 200+ is a joke.

While I am no be means even close to being an expert in judging for points, I will take beautiful skating over technical percision anyday. I have nothing against Rachel Flatt, but for me Mirai's skating was the most pleasing to watch. It's like the "Trixie and Janet" controversy all over again. (Not that I think Rachel looks anything like Trixie Shuba, she doesn't). I thought we had gone past that, but life tends to repeat itself...............42

While I think that US men and ice dance level are up a knotch to near the top in the world, US pairs and ladies aren't. Don't even recall how the gold medal performance was in pairs even though I have watched it. Such an unmemorable event! I don't argue the result of US ladies. I think the placements nwere fine. The fact that US has had Rachael Flatt as a National Champion proved that US is desperate in Ladies skating. She is consistent for sure but her postures and general presence on the ice were terrible! Waaay off the world standard. She should have had much lower PCS at least. The 200+ is a joke.

If you feel you are fixated on Shen/Zhao, with S/S right there, I am with you. However, I find K/S a poor imitation of B/S.

It will be D/B's fiirst Oly and with not many Worlds behind them as all the other teams have had, yagottasay there is sparkle there for the newcomers.

Rachael thus far is a high technical skater not unlike Irina Slutskaya. A ballerina on ice she is not, but which skaters are?

While I always appreciate artistry over tech., I do appreciate the fact that Rachel's consistency in the tech. department might put the U.S. women in the running again for more than two spots on the World Team. I thinks it's a shame that do to the inconsistency of the past few years, that we are only sending two ladies to the Olympics. 42